Garfield
Garfield is the main character of his self-titled comic strip, created by Jim Davis. An orange-furred cat capable of articulate speech, he lives in a house which he shares with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and the dog Odie. Garfield is lazy; obsesses over eating (his favorite food being lasagna), drinking coffee, and taking naps; and has a disdain for Mondays, raisins, and dieting. Syndicated in over 2,500 newspapers and journals, Garfield's comic series has been lauded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most widely syndicated comic strip. Beyond his original strip, he has appeared on television and in CGI animated films. Macy's Parade appearances America's Comic Stars Float (1983) Garfield made his Macy's Parade debut in 1983, as a costumed character on the lower area of the America's Comic Stars float, with many other comic strip icons. Garfield (1984) But, his debut as a balloon was in 1984, and was the first balloon, alongside Raggedy Ann to be created by Raven Industries. The balloon is 60-foot long, 35 foot wide, weighed 398 pounds and required 18,907 cubic feet of helium to be inflated. Garfield became a parade staple and appeared for 6 parades, leading the parade in 1986 and 1988, until 1989, where he had a brief retirement between 1990 and 1991. In 1992, he made a comeback to celebrate his 15th Birthday in 1993 and led the parade that year. The balloon made 8 more appearances until it was ultimately retired after the 1999 parade. Garfield was often near the front of the balloon lineup, normally as the second balloon (with the exception of the 1989 and 1994 parades), It is speculated that the balloon still survives but this remains uncertain but due to the aging of the balloon and the seams of the balloon can only take so much helium, it possibly doesn't exist anymore. 75 Parade Superstars Float (2001) In 2001, Garfield appeared once again in a costumed character version on the special 75 Parade Superstars float, along with walk-around versions of Kermit the Frog, Skating Snoopy, Sonic the Hedgehog, and other characters whose balloons in the parade had been retired. Garfield and Pooky (2003) In 2003, an all-new balloon of Garfield appeared as Macy's Holiday Ambassador to celebrate his 25th Anniversary. This time, he stands on two legs, and carries his pal Pooky. Said to be the size of 37,000 pans of lasagna, this new balloon retired in 2006. This version of the balloon appeared at the end of the balloon lineup, as the last (2003 and 2006) or third-to-last (2004-2005) respectively. As Garfield is still seen as popular, and his comics are still going strong, it's possible he will return in the parade in the future. Music * What's New Pussycat? performed by Quincy Jones (1984) * Generic Macy's Music #1 (1985, 1989, 1992) * What's New Pussycat? (Garfield 80's version) (1986-1988, 1993, 1996) * Alley Cat (1994-1995, 1997-1999, 2006) * What's New Pussycat? (Different version) (2003-2005) Timeline * Solo (1984-1989, 1992-1999) * With Pooky (2003-2006) * Total Appearances = 18 Accidents *In 1984, Garfield's left paw was punctured by an unknown obstacle. *In 1986, Garfield's left back paw and right paw was damaged. *In 1992, Garfield's body and tail were pushed around due to the heavy rain, but the balloon remained undamaged. As a result, the balloon occasionally flailed around. *In 1993 and 1999, Garfield's tail was slightly bent. *In 1994, Garfield was nearly pushed into a tree, but was moved back without being damaged. *In 1995, Garfield hit a lamppost, but bounced back and no damage was done to the balloon. *In 1997, Garfield's paw was deflated and his tail got damaged due to the overnight windy conditions. *In 1998, Garfield sprung a leak in his body at 77th Street. Because of this he couldn't be moved, so he had to be removed altogether. *In 2004, Garfield suffered damage from his right paw after getting caught in a Central Park tree. Gallery Gallery: Garfield Category:Macy's Balloon Characters Category:Cartoon Characters Category:Movie Characters Category:1984 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:Retired Balloons Category:Big Balloons Category:Comic Book Characters Category:1980s Balloons Category:2000s Balloons Category:Holiday Ambassadors Category:Male Balloons Category:Parade Favorites Category:Raven Aerostar Balloons Category:Balloons used outside of the parade Category:Balloons that were in an accident Category:Comeback Balloon in the Parade Category:Balloons that got removed from the parade